Domestic and Sexual Violence

Everyone should be able to live without fear of violence and abuse. However, often people are living in fear in their own lives feeling powerless to stop a cycle of physical and emotional pain and abuse.

One in four women will be affected by domestic violence during their lifetime.

There are different types of abuse:

Psychological - This can affect the way you think and feel and is brought on by the way people interact with you this could be hidden threats or just being isolated.

Physical - Any use of physical force with the intention to cause fear or injury, like hitting, shoving, biting, strangling, kicking or using a weapon.

Sexual - Any action that stops a person's ability to control their sexual activity or the ways in which sexual activity happens, this could be controlling access to birth contraception. Ignoring someone saying no to sexual contact by repeatedly using emotional, verbal or physical pressure.

Financial - Using money or access to accounts to gain power and control over a partner.

Stafford Borough's Action Plan

At a national level the Government recently launched the Violence against Women and Girls Action Plan, which requires all local authorities to engage with the plan in order for it to be achieved.

Alongside the national Action Plan, there is a need for local authorities to meet the Gender Equality Public Duty recently set out by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which means ensuring that appropriate care and support services are developed at a local level. In addition, local authorities now need to be part of the implementation of the new requirement by the Home Office to carry out domestic homicide reviews at a local level.